EA CEO Says Dragon Age: The Veilguard Failed to 'Resonate With a Broad Audience,' Gamers Increasingly Want 'Shared-World Features'

EA CEO Andrew Wilson attributes the financial underperformance of Dragon Age: The Veilguard to its failure to connect with a wider audience. Last week's restructuring of BioWare, focusing solely on Mass Effect 5, saw some Veilguard developers reassigned to other EA projects.

EA's recent financial report revealed that Dragon Age: The Veilguard, despite a "high-quality launch" and positive critical reception, only engaged 1.5 million players – significantly below projections. IGN previously documented the game's troubled development, including layoffs and the departure of key personnel. According to Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, BioWare staff viewed the game's completion as a remarkable feat given EA's initial push for live-service elements, later reversed.

Wilson, in an investor call, suggested future RPGs require "shared-world features and deeper engagement" alongside strong narratives to broaden their appeal. He implied that these features could have improved The Veilguard's sales, a viewpoint complicated by EA's earlier decision to steer BioWare away from its initial multiplayer design towards a single-player focus. This has led to fan criticism, highlighting the success of recent single-player RPGs like Baldur's Gate 3. The future of the Dragon Age franchise appears uncertain.

EA CFO Stuart Canfield linked BioWare's restructuring to the evolving gaming landscape, emphasizing the need to prioritize high-potential projects. This restructuring, reportedly reducing BioWare's staff from 200 to under 100, underscores the company's focus on Mass Effect 5. Canfield noted the shift away from traditional blockbuster storytelling, reflecting EA's reliance on live-service games (74% of revenue in the past year), including titles like Apex Legends, The Sims, and the upcoming Skate and Battlefield installments. The relatively small contribution of single-player games to EA's overall revenue further contextualizes this strategic shift.